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Monday, September 24, 2012

On Keeping It in Perspective

My friend Corley always tells me I
sound like superwoman on my blog, but truthfully, some days I feel like
anything but. I hope that I do a good job of being honest about my everyday
struggles and challenges. The whole reason I wanted to blog in the first place,
is to connect with people and create a place
for me to share my life and my interests, and be realistic about it too. I’m
not interested in creating an image; reaching out and communicating issues I’m
trying to overcome is one of the most rewarding parts about blogging.

I’m doing a lot of reflecting today about keeping things in perspective, a
skill I am, admittedly, not so good at. My grade book for the online class
doesn’t work, appointments get canceled and moved around, the “express” lane at
the grocery store takes 20 minutes. It all annoys me, a lot.

I know, that last line was
completely unrealistic. No one can feel happy all the time, and everyone
struggles to keep perspective, the truth is, I think this is something people
do better with as they grow and mature. Brendan is older than me and has more
life experience, so he’s good about reassuring me “Yep, this is life,” and I
realize whatever I’m going through is normal. I’ve always tended to be
younger than most of my friends, so I watch and learn a lot from them, but I
still have times where I blow things out of proportion in ways that Brendan
typically would not. Talking to my mom on a daily basis also helps me keep life
in prospective. She lets me vent, which is cathartic, but also reminds me the
only way out is through, and that every challenge is surmountable.

In the end, I try not to beat
myself up about it. My life won’t always feel easy because no one’s life does,
and that is the bottom line. Reminding myself about how good I have it is
helpful, but there will be times in my life where I face disappointment, and
like every person, I have to experience and work past that, no matter how big
or small my problems are in the grand scheme of things.

And though I think it's really good and important to maintain a constant awareness of the world outside of oneself, sometimes, all you need to do is worry about yourself and making it through your day. Accepting that every life entails a certain portion of major and minor road bumps is another step. If you anticipate upsets, they are easier to take. Recognizing other factors that contribute to self-professed overreactions is handy too. For me, stress is my issue. If I'm already stressed, I will over-react to basically any scenario. Managing my stress by eating well, getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of water, taking brisk walks, and practicing yoga is paramount. Not that I won't lose my perspective because I'm doing these things, but that I am quickly able to gain access to it again.

I'll find someone to help me with my grade book, appointments are rescheduled for tomorrow, and as for the one popular grocery store here? Well, we will never head there on Sunday night again (lesson learned). I'm sure my week won't be perfect, but I'll remind myself to see the many aspects of it that are, and to appreciate what is going right in our lives. Plus, I'll keep on keeping on with working out and eating right; I know taking care of myself means I'll have a better perspective about everything. So what about you, any tips on keeping it in perspective? We hope you'll share them.

1 comment:

WELCOME

Welcome to Lola & Zoe, a blog about creative, fun, and healthy living. Lola and Zoe started in February 2011, when I had the idea to write about everything that interests me, kind of like trail mix, only in a blog. This is our internet home for vegetarian recipes, creative home decor, fun arts and crafts projects, ideas for a healthy lifestyle, book and movie picks, occasional meanderings about fashion and beauty, some personal stories about teaching, life after M.F.A, homeownership, and of course, a few good miscellaneous surprises. I live in west Texas, with my wonderful husband, Brendan, and our two crazy cats, who also serve as the namesake of this blog. Happy reading!Stacy, Brendan, Lola & Zoe